There are fears that a 1,250-home development proposed outside Alton could have a huge impact on The River Wey – bringing increased flooding risk to areas of Godalming and Farnham.
http://weyriver.co.uk/theriver/River_Wey_Map.htm
East Hampshire District Council has earmarked a 240-acre greenfield site next to the River Wey in its Local Plan for 1,250 new homes.
Protestors fear the concreting over the countryside will have huge implications for the towns and villages downstream, particularly Wrecclesham and Farnham at the Coxbridge roundabout.
They say the risk of flooding in this area will be significantly increased. There are no plans to upgrade Alton’s sewage plants, which already discharge sewage into the river Wey when the system cannot cope.
Fears that the runoff from more impermeable land will have huge implications downstream.
Tilford and Elstead will be impacted but mostly regarding transport, roads flooded more frequently. Both communities historically built above floodplains. Except, of course, WBC allowed building on the floodplain at Elstead. As to Farnham, I think the state of the channel through Gostrey Meadow is a disgrace. No doubt the wildlife enjoys it. Being somebody that can remember the floods of the nineteen sixties and the frequency of recent and soon to be the norm, events. Farnham’s defences are now old and inadequate. The water meadows cannot cope now because the channels are not maintained. People are unaware that water meadows rely on a series of channels to direct and control flows. The Wey now simply relies on weirs managed by the EA an under resourced underfunded Govt body that oft as not can do nothing because of the power of English Nature.
“We cannot clear your ditch because there’s a lesser spotted duberey thingle fly nest and we get unlimited fines. So your home will flood”
I exaggerates not!
MeaninglessMud